34 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



eminently desiral^le to the Government .ser\dce, to the Library of 

 Congress, and to this Institution. 



If the Department deem it expedient to take up the matter this 

 summer, I am prepared to go abroad without cost to the Department, 

 and if I could be useful by furnishing any ambassador or minister at 

 the posts mentioned with any detailed information he may desire I 

 should be very glad to put my services at its disposal. 



I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 



S. P. Langi.ey, Secretary. 

 The Secketaky of State, 



lVas/tin(/ton^ I). O. 



To the above eonnnuiiication the following reply was received: 



Department of State, 



Washington, June W, 1900. 



Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 3'our letter of 

 June 5. in which you bring to the attention of this Department the 

 unsatisfactory condition of the system of international exchanges 

 which rests upon a treaty concluded at Brussels March 15, 1886. \ ou 

 state that some of the most important nations of Europe have never 

 agreed to this treaty, England and Germany not being parties to it at 

 all, while France and Russia conform to the provisions of the conven- 

 tion on the subject liut have never bound themselves to abide by the 

 terms of the treaty. You point out that this works unfairly to this 

 countr}', which receives an inadequate r(^turn for the documents which 

 it sends out. You call attention to the failure of previous attempts 

 to ameliorate the existing state of things. You inquire whether or 

 not it seems expedient to this Department at this time to obtain the 

 adherence of England, Germany, and France to the provisions of the 

 treaty or to negotiate separate treaties, or whether or not any other 

 system could be suggested to bring about a result so eminently desir- 

 able to the Government service, to the Library of Congress, and the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



You state that you are about to proceed abroad, and that you would 

 be disposed to place j^our services at the disposal of the Department 

 for the execution of plans for the improvement of the Exchange Serv- 

 ice. In reply to 3'our generous proposition I have the honor to say 

 that it does not seem expedient to endeavor to urge upon England, 

 Germany, and France adhesion to the Brussels treaty, as it is probable 

 that they have what appear to them sufficient reasons for not becouiing 

 signatories- to this convention. It is possible that one of their objec- 

 tions is that adherence to the convention would require them to furnish 

 complete sets of valuable publications to the smaller and less important 

 governments in exchange for publications which they may deem of 

 inconsiderable value. At all events it does not seem practicable to 

 endeaver to overcome their disinclination to become participants in the 

 arrangements of the treaty. 



It is, however, eminently proper that during your contemplated 

 visit to Europe you should lay this matter clearly ))efore the diplo- 

 matic representatives of the United States in the capitals where your 

 journey may call you, and perhaps have personal con\'ersations with 

 those officers of the foreign governments to which reference has been 

 made, who may be able to facilitate the sending of publications of 



